Mu Gerds was not cause by PPI's. I did and had taken the priolsec. My PN turned out to be RSD, and not caused by my new PPI. Before medication or change to vitamine suppliments it is always best to consult with a doctor. Even though I took PPIs' it was not good enough to stop the progression to Barretts esophagus. My doctors didn't believe me when I said my stomach still hurt with Nexium and Priolsec. It took a scope to figure out what was wrong with me and I did follow all my doctors directons. ginnie

Thanks Ginne I appriciate your feedback but I was curious about Karsten's post. Wondering if Karesten could comment on my questions.

My symptoms started out as mild dizziness, funny swallowing feeling and short term memory loss. This started in 2009. Symtoms progressed to numbess in foot soles and tingling in finger tips by early 2010. Muscle facilations, cold feet and hypersensitivity on areas of body ( scalp tingling, weird sensations on different parts of the body) also followed.

Two MRI's , upper GI, barium swallow and a few blood tests yielded nothing. Vitamin B test was normal( around 500) , but unfortunately I already started taking those B12 supplements so those results are inconclusive. I had a NVC and EMG performed which proved that I had mild to moderate PN. Doctor admited that he didn't know what was causing it , but implied my alcohol consumption was likely the cause. I asked about Prilosec and he said it was perfectly safe without any side effects related to my condition. He said there was nothing that could be done for me and offered me neurotin when the pain became less manageable. I stopped going to see neurologists after that experience.

I don't have documented clinical proof that the PPI's were the reason for my PN. I have based it on my experiences since stopping them. I'm convinced they are a large part of my problem.

I lost weight, improved my eating habits, stopped drinking for about 6 months, and stopped taking Prilosec in 2010. I have made very slow but definite progress since then. I still drink, but limit my consumption to 3 or less beers a day. Taking B12 initially caused me to feel "hyper" for several weeks. I then combined it with methylfolate and experienced a very gittery anxious feeling. Hard to explain but It would be something like drinking 12 cups of super strong coffee an an empty stomach type feeling. This experience receded and went away altogether after a few weeks. I take all of the usual supplements recommended on this forum.

Memory has improved significantly. Dizziness is rare, but still comes up once in a while. Tingling and numbness come and go , but have diminished in intensity over time. Flares appear to be further apart. Also, I have recently taken good quality magnesium for about 4-5 months now which have removed my cold feet issues. I feel it is very likely that the nutrients requiring stomach acid to work were not properly being aborbed and caused nutritional deficiencies over time. My reactions to taking B12, folate and magnesium point to a deficiency of these nutrients within my body. Time will tell if I make further improvement.

How much magnesium do you take? What brand?

ACV= Apple Cider Vinegar and I will ONLY use Bragg's ACV

It is organic and has the "mother" in it, which is the stuff you see in the bottom of the bottle and you shake it and it floats around.

I take in 1x a day for maintenance if all is well, 3x a day if in the throws of bad gerd. I put 2 TBS of ACV into about 4 ounces of water, but the amount of water is your choice, then add 1/3 to 1/2 tsp of baking soda. It will fizzz up alot so use a tall glass. Best taken after you eat and not on an empty stomach, some people cant handle it on a completely empty stomach.

There is no danger of too much baking soda, as if you have taken too much you will know it because you will get diarea. If I am having horrid, painful, gerd before bed I will use 1 tsp of baking soda in water, it works fast. I have done this for years, my blood work showed my ph to be fine, but I havent ever heard of someone having problems using baking soda, as it makes the body alkaline instead of acidic and well...most people are not alkaline and can use the soda.

It works for many things besides gerd. Its great for inflamation in the body, arthiritis and much more. Go to earthclinics.com they have a wonderful section devoted to acv.

I was taking magnesium oxide originally which was my problem. Poor abosrption.

I think there are many good types and brands out there.

I take Source Naturals Magnesium Malate 425 mg per day. I also use Ancient Minerals magnesium oil once a day. I exercise daily for about an hour and therefore take a bit more than the RDA to compensate for losses occuring from exercise/sweating , etc.

I was always confused which supplement counteract with other ones. I always thought you needed to take 2:1 ratio Calcium to magnesium.
Someone also told me that even if you blood tests show your magnesium levels as being in range you could still have absorption problems while on the PPI. Not sure if that’s possible.

Last time I had my blood work done my calcium, mag, zinc, potassium, etc... were all in range.

I came across this page that talks about some of the different interactions and deficiencies people could have based on their bodies absorption and spinal alignment,


http://www.acu-cell.com/mr.html

I agree that it is very confusing. Some studies now suggest a 1:1 ratio is better. The ideal ratio for any individual will vary depending on their current conditions as well as risk factors for deficiency. Some magnesium risk factors include drinking carbonated beverages, eating refined sweets, drinking excess coffee/tea,high stress, consuming alcoholic beverages , and using certain medications to name a few. Conversely, calcium risk factors also exist!

Testing magnesium levels can be tricky. Often they are done using blood serum testing. The problem is only about 1% of magnesium in the body is actually found in blood, and much smaller amounts are found in blood serum. Other tests do exist for more accurate results.

There are some published reports listing recommended amounts for people of varying ages. I use this as a rough guideline as well.

Mrs D has a magnesium thread which explains the various types of magnesium alongwith what you may expect from them. I think it can be found in the "Stickies."

Hi Karsten,

I live in Ankeny, IA and saw a news report this morning that talked about the use of Prilosec causing nerve damage, among other things. It struck me, because I too have been using Prilosec/ Omeprazole for 10 years or more. Over the last 5 years or so I've notice an increasing about of numbness occurring in my toes and feet. Started in my toes and has spread to most of my feet and even some in my ankles. I'm 47 years old and overweight. I'm 6' 2" and weigh about 260lbs. So I probably need to lose at least 30 or 40 pounds and probably even more. I'm curious if your PN went away after you stopped taking Omeprazole, lost weight and were careful about your diet to control GERD? I would love to talk to you on the phone if that would be possible.